Grieving family angered by Trump’s political exploitation of murder case

In the wake of the tragic murder of 25-year-old Grand Rapids woman, Ruby Garcia, her family is expressing anger over the attempt by 2020 election loser and disgraced former President Donald Trump to exploit the incident for political advantage.

Ruby Garcia was found dead on the side of a highway in March, allegedly shot by her romantic partner, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, who was in the country illegally after being deported to Mexico in 2020.

The 2020 election loser, along with Michigan GOP leaders, gathered in Grand Rapids to denounce border security under President Joe Biden, less than two months after Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson scuttled a bipartisan Senate bill to overhaul the immigration system.

Citing Garcia’s murder as an example of failed immigration policies instead of owning up to his involvement in disrupting the deal on a national security supplemental plan that senators spent months working on a bipartisan manner.

Trump seized upon the tragedy during his speech, falsely claiming to have spoken with Garcia’s family and exploiting her death to call for draconian immigration controls.

However, Garcia’s family has refuted Trump’s assertions, stating that neither Trump nor anyone from his campaign has contacted them.

Ruby’s sister Mavi Garcia, a spokesperson for the family, expressed shock and dismay at Trump’s remarks because the family had not been approached by the former president.

“It was shocking. I kind of stopped watching it. I’d only seen up to that, after I heard a couple of misinformations he said, I just stopped watching it,” Mavi Garcia said in response to Trump’s speech.

She further clarified that Ruby and Ortiz-Vite were not in a romantic relationship as described by Trump and authorities, but rather were friends.

Mavi Garcia lamented the politicization of her sister’s death, urging a focus on Ruby’s life and character rather than using her as a pawn in the immigration debate.

“It’s always been about illegal immigrants” said Mavi Garcia. “Nobody really speaks about when Americans do heinous crimes, and it’s kind of shocking why he would just bring up illegals. What about Americans who do heinous crimes like that?”

Trump’s attempt to leverage Ruby Garcia’s murder for political gain has drawn criticism from advocates and community members, who argue that it detracts from the real issue of domestic violence and the need for support and resources for victims.

They say that Ruby’s death should be remembered for who she was in life—a vibrant and caring individual—rather than being exploited for partisan purposes.

As the investigation into Ruby Garcia’s murder continues, her family remains focused on honoring her memory and seeking justice. They call for an end to the politicization of tragedies and a renewed commitment to addressing the root causes of violence in communities.